This Dance
by PitFTW
Summary: Seven virtues, seven nights, seven dances. Seven chances to win her heart. Samnon


This Dance

**A/N: I apologize for this pairing.**

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><p>"May I have this dance?"<p>

Samus blinked. The world around her spun. For a moment, she could've sworn that she was staggering. Her stomach somersaulted, her eyes did cartwheels, her ears rang with the sounds of a freight train about to run her over.

"Whoa! Steady there, Miss Aran…"

A strong arm caught her elbow, gently keeping her form falling over. The touch was gentle and warm, yet both familiar and completely new to her at once. She felt strange electricity, a small tingling that travelled up to her arm and caused her pulse- or maybe it was the contents of her stomach- to race.

It had to be admitted that she was quite a sight indeed. Samus Aran, the cold bounty huntress and scourge of the Space Pirates, was drunk out of her mind. Normally, such a thought would be laughable to the average person, but as an extremely unfortunate Pit had learned after he attempted to play a prank on her the last time she had a little too much to drink, even while drunk she was a force to be reckoned with.

He still had the scars on his stomach to prove it.

Of course, it could also be said that she certainly did not show up to the masquerade with any intention to become _this_ wasted. Normally, she would have a little more self-control with her drinking. But whether it was something in the champagne she drank or she simply downed more than she thought she did, she did not know. She _did_ know, however, that if she didn't go lie down somewhere soon, she could be keeling over faster than Sonic could run after a chilidog.

Her self-control had left her this night for one reason: Snake. She had known that he had been pining for her, working up the courage to ask her out. It was a laughable idea, the thought of the gritty soldier- who usually engaged with Wolf in competitions of toughness- walking into a flower shop to purchase a bouquet for her, but he did it. He had presented his invitation to her in a very sweet way, placing the flowers upon her bed and a note expressing in surprisingly poetic verse his feelings for her. It was these words and the courage of her fellow Smasher that, for just a little bit, melted some of the ice caked around Samus' demeanor.

She would have been fool not to accept.

The date was wonderful. Snake was every bit the perfect gentleman. He took her out for a walk on the beach. Dinner by the pier. A boat ride at sunset.

All the while, she learned more about the man who called himself Snake. He appreciated music. He enjoyed long drives in the countryside. If his life were to be at risk while on a mission, the mission would always come first. If he had men with him during said mission, he would focus on bringing his men out alive at all costs.

Under that rough exterior lay a heart of gold.

Despite all of his good qualities, the huntress did not accept his offer to take her out a second time. There was just something within her that stopped her from accepting. It was not to say that she didn't love Snake, however. But her feelings for the gruff soldier were akin to those she felt for Link, Marth, Ike, Captain Falcon, Pit, Yoshi, Kirby…

He was a friendly rival to her, nothing more.

Perhaps it was years of living alone, fending off alien creatures by herself that made her so cold. While she would occasionally accept an invitation for a walk in the gardens or dinner at a fancy restaurant, she rarely engaged in any social activities with her male brethren. Indeed, when they were out playing baseball or football, she would be inside with a good book and a warm cup of tea. When the couples went ice-skating on the nearby lake, she would be found huddled in the training room somewhere, honing her skills.

It was the guilt over Snake, over Captain Falcon, over everything that had driven her to this. Most of the males at the Smash Mansion were wonderful people, mighty heroes who would give their lives for the huntress'. She loved and appreciated each of them in her own way, but while many a man had asked her if she would care to come to the masquerade ball as their date, she had quite firmly declined.

In spite of learning everything about her fellow Smashers, she never opened up enough to allow them to learn about her. Whatever questions they asked her, whether they were about her past or simply what kind of flavor of ice cream she wanted, they would always be met with a cold stare. It was because of such answers that most tended to stay away from her.

"May I have this dance?" the man who spoke to her earlier repeated, baritone voice taking on a hint of amusement. The huntress, too wasted to stop and consider whether or not she should dance with this man, grabbed his arm and dragged him onto the dance floor.

The song was a waltz.

He was a good dancer. In her intoxicated state, Samus could only just barely make out a tall, imposing figure. He was dark as well, but his features were little more than a great blur in her eyes. She blinked twice, trying to clear up the picture, but that only caused her migraine to become worse. Instead, she leaned onto him and allowed her partner to guide her across the floor.

"Ah, you are dancing quite well, Miss Aran," the man spoke as he twirled her. "I must admit, you really ought to dance more often."

Samus now spoke to him, her words slurred in her stupor. "Oh yeah? Well, I gotta say, I think I was getting a little tipsy back there…"

A low rumble escaped her dance partner's chest. She soon realized he was chuckling. "Ah, Miss Aran, I couldn't have possibly known. You were- are- controlling yourself so well." as if sensing that she was going to reprimand him, he quickly changed the subject. "How has your _Festum Bellatorum_ been?"

The _Flagrit Bellatorum_ was a festival celebrating the mightiest heroes of the known worlds. Lasting seven nights, the festival was one of the greatest celebrations throughout the known worlds. Each and every Smasher was honored here at the _Fragit Bellatorum_, and it was only proper that each of the seven nights would be named for one of the seven virtues.

"… Interesting," Samus drawled lazily as her partner pulled her along. Though she still was unable to make out any features of her dance partner, Samus was now able to pick up the faint scent of what she believed was cologne. It was an ancient, quiet aroma that reminded her vaguely of shifting sands and a warm desert sun. "I think Zelda did pretty good with her… thingy…"

_Nocte Castitas_ represented purity and wisdom. That night, people would dress in pure white and dance barefoot upon the pristine Smash Mansion lawn. The food was served in small portions and was little more than fruits, bread, and various cheeses. As the voted _Regina Castitas_, Zelda had braided olive branches in her hair and declaimed the _Divine Comedy_ before an audience.

"I must admit, I believed her performance to be more than spectacular," her partner remarked. "As she declaimed, the backs of chairs straightened, the roses bloomed, and the stars shined all the brighter. Truly, the Princess is a pinnacle of purity and wisdom."

Samus frowned. For some strange reason, she did not enjoy listening to this man compliment the Princess of Hyrule in such a way. Of course, as she told herself, there was no way the man could ever hope to win Zelda's heart. It was rumored that Link intended to propose to her at midnight, once the Unmasking was done. Oh yes, she would certainly have a chance at him now…

The huntress shook her head, clearing away these strange thoughts. After all, there was no need for her to at all feel such envy towards her dear friend. She was a bounty huntress, and a good one at that. While Zelda and Peach sat in their castles looking pretty, she was out and about, ripping apart Space Pirates like no one's business.

Samus instantly felt ashamed, knowing full well that her thoughts were uncalled for. Zelda and Princess Peach were both dear to her. Being the only three adult women among the Smashers, a sort of bond had formed between them. True, she always remained cold and aloof while they tittered on, but there was no one else in the mansion she could trust more.

She decided to change the subject, hoping that her partner would not notice her voice shaking. The dark blob in front of her was starting to take shape. She could just barely make out the gleam of some kind of ivory decoration upon his mask.

The second dance, the Foxtrot, began.

"What about when… Princess Martha was up?" Samus allowed a tiny smile to cross her features as her tall partner slid smoothly from the delicate waltz to the slow and deliberate Foxtrot. She was quite marveled with the control he was able to exercise over the both of them during this transition, a period that many of her previous dance partners had great trouble with.

"Ah, Prince Marth… truly, there could be no other substitute for him," her partner rumbled as they glided across the floor. "But then again, of course, he certainly has experience when it comes to control, does he not?"

The second night, the _Nocte Temperantia_, celebrated self-control and indomitable will. To celebrate this, people would dress in palest blue. This night was a night of fasting, as Temperance was the countering virtue of Gluttony. In addition, not a single alcoholic drink was to cross the premises.

As _Temperantia Rex,_ Prince Marth was to put on a performance. He chose to sit and do nothing as the Smashers threw things at him and jeered. At any time, he could have simply leaped out of the chair, drew his sword, and put an end to such torment in seconds. But he didn't. He exercised control over himself, curbing his anger and enduring the jests like they were nothing. He had been a pinnacle of self-control and- possibly the icing on the cake- when the night was over and done with, he stood up and forgave each and every one of them.

"Yeah, I guess…" Samus agreed, trying her best to avoid her partner's toes. While her partner was a smooth dancer, she danced like she had two left feet. It did not help that she was also intoxicated to the point of almost-collapse. "But that guy is waaaayyyy too serious." she felt her partner changing directions, moving her in the opposite direction from whence they came. She swayed slightly as she was pulled along. "He needs to cut some slack, laugh a little more. He's so emo and stuff over his country that he can barely tell the difference between a joke and a sarcastic remark, ya know?"

A low chuckled rumbled forth from her partner's chest. In her slightly vulnerable state, Samus felt herself glowing with pride. She liked his laugh. Hell, she liked _making_ him laugh. She had to do that again.

The Tango began.

The feeling was immediate. Her partner grasped her firmly by the waist and dipped her back, allowing her long blonde hair to lightly brush the floor. Before Samus could so much as recover from the initial shock, he had her hanging onto the crook of his arm, her head resting against a pair of strong, manly shoulders.

"The Tango is one of my favorite dances, you know," her partner spoke. Samus was now able to make out the gleam of many gems upon the pulsing mass that she perceived to be his mask. "It requires control, synchronization, and above all, patience." he gently steered her towards the front of the room, where Samus could just barely make out a flash of blue hair and some kind of red blob. No doubt Ike was dancing with his intended partner… what was her name again? Maria? Monica? Mary?

"Patience…" Samus repeated. She found it quite funny how the word rolled lazily off her tongue. Swaying slightly, she adjusted her position on the crook of the man's arm. "Who was King of Patience again…?"

"Why, young Red, of course," her partner replied. "He was crowned _Patientia Rex_ in a landslide victory."

_Nocte Patientia_ was a night that celebrated forbearance and endurance through moderation. The color to wear that night was gold, which represented the sun that had shone so patiently upon the earth for thousands upon thousands of years. Red, the _Patientia Rex_, had been forced to wait until everyone had finished eating their meal before he himself could partake in anything. As such, the food served had been in large portions and came in many, many courses.

"Must take a Hell lot of patience to train those weird animal things," Samus remarked, giving her partner a sloppy grin. A brief flash- of a smile, jewels, or perhaps the ivory- appeared somewhere on the blob before her, which was slowly taking shape. She could just barely make out the shape of an animal of some kind.

"Indeed. I, myself, would be unable to deal with his Pokemon for long. His title is well deserved."

They transitioned to the Cha Cha.

Samus was having much trouble keeping up. The alcohol in her blood clouded her vision, her senses dulled with intoxication. She tried her best to stay on the beat, making small motions with her legs and hips, to no avail. Her partner, on the other hand, kept up easily with the music and even took pains to help her through it, despite her many stomps on his toes.

"Daaaamn, this sucks," Samus groaned, her legs wobbling slightly as a small migraine crept to her attention.

"Do you need to sit down, Miss Aran?" her partner asked. "Perhaps you would like to accept a bit of medicine from my home. It cannot cure you of your intoxication, but-"

She scowled. "I don't need your charity, boy. Now shut up and dance."

This quip won her a small chuckle from the man. "Ah, Lady Aran, you are as stubborn as Mario is self-sacrificing."

Mario had been crowned _Caritas Rex_ of _Nocte Caritas_. He was the pinnacle of self-sacrifice and generosity, always willing to lend a helping hand and forever prepared to place his own life in danger in the name of protecting the woman he loved. For the night of _Nocte Caritas_, Mario had descended among the Smashers- all of them wearing a shade of red- and given them gifts. He gave them many things they needed or wanted and asked for absolutely nothing in return.

While Samus would never admit it, she had always longed for someone such as Mario. Someone who understood her and who was willing to place everything they had on the line in the name of the protection of others. However, she pushed these thoughts from her mind as their song ended and the next one began.

The Rumba.

This dance was much, much slower than the one before, something that Samus was extremely grateful for. She now had time to clear her head, allowing her movements to become flowing and flirtatious as the alcohol slowly began to wear off. The huge mass before her began to take shape even more, revealing tiny ears, a fierce mouth, and black, piercing eyes.

She knew that animal from somewhere, but she did not know where.

"Truly, this dance suits you, Lady Aran," her partner rumbled. "But I must admit, as kind as it is to the beauty of the lady dancing it, it makes the male heart ache too much to be called humane."

"Peach seems to be being awfully nice to Mario, though," Samus pointed out, gesturing at the couple in question. Peach, swathed in a sparkly pink flamingo mask, was dancing quite close to the red plumber, whose fancy Koopa mask seemed so real that it was a wonder no one tried to jump on his head. The Princess' movements were flirtatious and sensual, but she was dancing too close to Mario. The whole point of the dance was for the woman to tempt her partner, only to reject him at the last moment.

Perhaps the least suitable dance for Princess Peach Toadstool imaginable.

Peach had been growned _Regina Humanitas_ of _Nocte Humanitas_, the night that celebrated love, compassion, and friendship. As the kindest person in the mansion, it came to no surprise that Peach received the crown. With everyone swathed in light pink for the night, she had stood upon the stage and sung a song she had written for every single guest. It was no wonder that she was well received by everyone in the mansion.

She was just too damn nice.

Samus frowned, realizing that she had already gone through five dances with this man, not knowing who he was. Her perception of time was slightly dulled at this point, but she was quite sure that there would only be two more dances at most before the Unmasking. For a moment, she considered leaving this partner- good though he was- and going back to her drinks.

She was too late; the Paso Doble had begun.

"Did you know that this dance was modeled after bullfights?" her partner asked, stamping his foot on the ground. "I am the matador. See here, I am calling my bull." he stamped his foot again, and then once more for emphasis.

"What does that make me?" Samus asked. "The bull?"

He laughed. "But of course not, Miss Aran. A woman such as yourself would be most unsuited to play a bull. No, Samus, the woman- in this dance, at least- is the cape. The glorious, flaring red cape that I must wave to tempt the bull into charging."

"Sounds like a tough dance," Samus remarked. "But you're one Hell of a dancer, so it should be no problem for you."

There was a slight falter in his step as she said this, a tiny hesitation. "Er… thank you, Miss Aran, but please, you should not compliment me so. There are others that are much, much better than myself. Why, I remember a time where-"

Samus tuned him out, already too lost in memory to really absorb any of his words. _Nocte Humilitas_, the night that celebrated selflessness and modesty, had been given to Pit, the _Humilitas Rex_. This was the night when the dancers would come swathed in shades of brown, to represent the humble dirt on which they walked each day.

Pit had actually come in little more than the rags he had worn long ago when he had been locked in the Underworld dungeon. He had walked among the Smashers, bowing before them and thanking them for everything. Whenever a compliment was given to him, he would only quietly shake his head and instead direct the flattering remark so that in some way, he had the one who gave him the praise to thank for whatever they complimented him on.

It was this night that Samus liked the least.

The virtue of humility was the counter of the deadly sin Pride. Samus' coldness had been imbued into her through her pride. While she could have easily settled down and made friends with others, it was her great pride that always got in the way. She used to live alone, be reliant on no one but herself. The death of the baby Metroid had opened her eyes to how lonely she truly was, a weakness that she had spurned. She was too proud, too arrogant, to admit to her own faults.

She hated herself for this. She hated herself for denying what could have possibly lifted her lonely stay at the Smash Mansion. She hated herself for not opening up more to Snake and Captain Falcon, for allowing her pride of being able to fend for herself get in the way of possibly reaching a deeper level of friendship with the two men.

For the first time in years, Samus Aran allowed a single tear to slide down her cheek.

"Miss Aran, please forgive me!" her partner cried. "I did not mean to offend you in any way!"

"It is not you," she whispered, watching as the dark animal-like mass before her began to sharpen and take shape. "It's me… I…" she swallowed. "I have never opened up so much to anyone before… I've never realized how lonely I really am… I don't know if it's the alcohol talking or not, but…"

The man placed a firm but gentle hand on her shoulder. "Now, now, Miss Aran. There shall be no room for tears shed tonight." she heard the smile in his voice, relished the gentle pulse of his breath on her face. "When the Unmasking comes… You will see me for who I am… and I would very much like to help you lift your loneliness, if you would only have me…"

She heard the bitterness there, felt the sadness in his voice as he spoke. She squinted up at his mask, watching as the gleaming white ivory sharpened into tusks. She was still intoxicated, still drunk out of her mind. But there was something that was definitely sobering her up. It was almost like magic…

The final dance, the Viennese Waltz, began.

"I will have you know, Miss Aran, that you are not the only lonely one in the mansion," her partner said quietly. He gently took her hand and led her across the dance floor, passing many couples along the way. Samus spotted Pit dancing with his green-haired goddess, Marth and his wife, and even young Roy with a pretty purple-haired girl whirling past them. "I have spent many a lonely night, sitting and watching as my acquaintances- I cannot even begin to call them friends- squabble about. There is very little I share in common with the others, save you…"

"You… have experienced loss before?" Samus asked, not believing him for a second.

"It is more than simply a loss, Miss Aran," he answered. "Much, much more. Like you, I was raised by not one person, but an entire race. I was different among them, but they still took care of me. In essence, Miss Aran, they were my family…"

She remembered the Chozo. They were a race of bird-like creatures that took her in and raised her when her parents died. She loved them like a family, cared for them like they were her own brothers and sisters.

Ridley had wiped them out.

"There is more than simply a loss that I share with you, of course," her partner continued. "Like you, I aimed to make the world better for my people. Oftentimes, my goals were mistaken by a certain people and many attempted to stop me…"

Yes, she understood. There were always enemies of some sort out there that insisted that the jobs Samus took were harmful and would not benefit anyone. But they _did_ benefit someone. And if Samus did not take her bounty hunting duties seriously to make a better world for the people she secretly cared for, then who would?

She studied his mask, watching as a shape slowly materialized. The cruel eyes, the fierce mouth, and the terrible tusks were busily rearranging themselves. Many precious stones glittered at the edges of the mask. The eyes seemed to pierce into her soul, gluing her to her partner's arms as the two glided across the dance floor. Slowly, ever so slowly, the blurry blob in front of her sharpened and Samus saw with her own eyes the animal that the man's mask represented.

A boar.

Beneath her own crane mask, Samus gasped. Never before had she seen a mask so realistic and so terrible. But, as she continued to stare at this strange mask and the golden eyes that glittered beneath it, she found it to be not nearly as terrible as she initially thought. The eyes were not cruel, but regal. The tusks not malicious but decorative. The mouth, which she before had thought so fierce, was set in a smooth, determined line.

Dignified and grand.

"Attention! May I have your attention please?" Link's voice rang throughout the ballroom. All eyes turned to the familiar Hero- tonight garbed in a royal blue suit- as he walked up to the stage. He was a truly beautiful sight to behold, both terrible and glorious behind his wolf mask. His piercing blue eyes gazed out sharply from beneath the mask, sweeping the room of Smashers.

"As your _Fortitudo Rex_, I hereby declare that it is time for the Unmasking," Link announced. "Turn to your partner now and remove their mask!" with that said, he turned to the woman standing next to him, obviously Zelda, and gently unstrapped the glittering butterfly mask attached to her face.

It did not take long for everyone in the room to follow suit. Samus scanned the room, taking in the face of each person as they were unmasked. It came as quite a shock to her when Snake and Captain Falcon appeared from beneath a dragon and eagle mask respectively, with their partners appearing from behind beautiful bird-like masks. After all, if it was not they who she had been dancing with, then who…?

Her answer came in the form of two large, yet gentle hands reaching behind her neck and gently unhooking the straps of her mask. Samus was quick to respond with her own unhooking, her fingers shaking slightly as they made contact with the warm skin on the back of his neck. Ever so slowly, she removed the mask of the boar…

And revealed Ganondorf, King of Evil, as the man behind the mask.

Samus trembled. She had not spoken to Ganondorf before, but from the stories Zelda had told her, he was a truly inhumane being. In spite of herself, however, she still felt the gentle bond that had been forged between them during the seven dances. This bond seemed to accumulate in her cheeks, as she felt a sudden warmth rush into them as she gazed up into the dark face of the Power Wielder.

Ganondorf, who had always seemed rather menacing to her, seemed to be humbled by the mere fact that she had removed his mask. There was a sort of gentle spark in his eye, which was soon doused by a flicker of fear. She knew that flicker all too well; it signaled the fear of rejection.

"… I can… alleviate your loneliness…" Ganondorf said weakly, his voice little more than a whisper. "… If you will have me…"

Samus hesitated, unsure how to answer him. A small part of her told her to run. To push him away and run, never looking back. To reject this advance that was- as it kept telling her- doomed to end in misery.

But there was another part of her that told her that by rejecting him now, she would be making the same mistake she made over and over again. She would be placing her pride, her greatest flaw, above all else. She would be running away yet again.

A coward.

And then, her mind was made up. No longer would she be a slave to her pride. No, now she was her own person. Samus Aran. Bounty Huntress. Smasher.

Friend.

With a small smile, she gently wrapped her arms around the Gerudo King's waist and pulled him into an embrace. Ganondorf, caught by surprise, nearly shoved her away when this happened. But as soon as he realized what was happening, he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her back.

The next thing they knew, there were people clapping. And chanting. Samus was not quite sure if they were cheering for the Hylian couple- who she was almost positive just got engaged- or them. The huntress and the King of Evil. But that didn't matter. She could easily follow the chanting of this crowd, whether they were paying attention to her and Ganondorf, to Link and Zelda, or to both.

She kissed him.


End file.
